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Meet Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo so popular you can visit him for just 5 minutes

Posted on by angelo
Meet Moo Deng, the baby pygmy hippo so popular you can visit him for just 5 minutes

Moo Deng, a 2-month-old female pygmy hippo who recently became a viral internet sensation, stands next to her mother Jona, 25, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, on Sunday.
Moo Deng, a 2-month-old female pygmy hippo who recently became a viral internet sensation, stands next to her mother Jona, 25, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi province, Thailand, on Sunday. (Lillian Suwanrumpha | AFP via Getty Images)

A baby pygmy hippo at a Thailand zoo has quickly become a global internet sensation after the zoo began posting videos of him. But zoo officials say the increased attention has led to bad behavior from some visitors.

Photos of Moo Deng, who is just 2 months old, have flooded social media, and the Utah Jazz included the hippo in a post about the team’s home opener. Sephora Thailand celebrated Moo Deng’s celebrity by posting on social media how to “wear blush like a baby hippo.”

She has also attracted increasing numbers of visitors to the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand. But zoo officials have limited visits due to water being poured on her and objects being thrown at her by visitors. In a social media post over the weekend, zoo officials said visitors could only see Moo Deng for five minutes on Saturdays and Sundays.

Visitors look at Moo Deng alongside his mother, Jona, 25, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo on Sunday.
Visitors look at Moo Deng alongside his mother, Jona, 25, at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo on Sunday. (Lillian Suwanrumpha | AFP via Getty Images)

Narongwit Chodchoi, the zoo’s director, issued a statement last week warning that those who harass the beloved hippopotamus would face legal consequences.

“These behaviors are not only cruel but also dangerous,” he said, according to the Nation Thailand newspaper. “We must protect these animals and ensure they have a safe and comfortable environment.”

Why is it so popular?

Moo Deng is seen at Khao Kheow Zoo on Sunday. Zoo officials have warned visitors against misbehaving around the animals.
Moo Deng is seen at Khao Kheow Zoo on Sunday. Zoo officials have warned visitors against misbehaving around the animals. (Lillian Suwanrumpha | AFP via Getty Images)

Moo Deng was born on July 10 and became famous after the zoo began posting videos on social media of her eating and even opening a door. Her mother, Jona, is 25 and her father, Tony, is 24, according to the zoo. She is the seventh baby hippo born to her parents at the zoo.

A TikTok page dedicated to zoo animals with over 2.7 million followers has shared videos of Moo Deng, with hippo fans’ videos also gaining millions of views on Instagram.

Its name, which means “bouncing pig,” was chosen by more than 20,000 visitors in an online vote and revealed in late August.

The pygmy hippopotamus is an endangered species. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, there were only 2,000 to 2,500 adult individuals left in 2015. Their numbers continue to decline as they are hunted for bushmeat and their habitat is destroyed, according to the Pygmy Hippo Foundation. They are smaller than common hippos and are found primarily in West Africa, in countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.